MARIUSZ WACH vs KEVIN McBRIDE

Undefeated heavyweight contender Mariusz Wach of North Bergen, NJ by way of Krakow, Poland will face his biggest test – literally – when he meets “The Clones Colossus” Kevin McBride on July 29 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

The ten-round heavyweight fight will be the co-featured bout on “Heat Wave”, which is presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports and Global Boxing.

Wach, 24-0 (12 KO), stands an imposing 6′7″ and 240 pounds and isn’t used to facing opponents who can meet him eye to eye, but the Clones, Ireland native McBride, 35-9-1 (29 KO), now living in Brockton, Mass., is 6′6″ and routinely weighs upwards of 270 pounds, giving him the size and strength to test Wach like never before.

Wach, 31, has knocked out his last four opponents, including a third round knockout of Jonathan Haggler in his most recent bout in February, annexing the WBC Baltic heavyweight title in the process. Wach has been training out Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen with the outstanding training duo of Juan and Carlos De Leon.

Juan De Leon is best known for training former heavyweight contender “Baby” Joe Mesi, while De Leon is a future Boxing Hall of Famer and four-time cruiserweight champion of the world.

McBride, 38, has faced some of the stiffest competition in the heavyweight division, including Wach’s compatriots Tomasz Adamek and Andrew Golata. McBride’s biggest claim to fame was ending the career of heavyweight legend Mike Tyson, stopping him in six rounds in 2005.

Both Wach and McBride represented their native countries in the Summer Olympics, with Wach representing Poland in the 2004 Games and McBride representing Ireland in the 1992 Games.

For Wach, the fight against McBride offers him the opportunity to test his skills against an opponent with similar physical attributes to the heavyweight champion Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.

“I will be looking to make a statement in this fight that, not only am I here to make noise now but I’m here to take over the division. It’s not usual that a man I’m about to fight can stare at me in the eyes, but the more dangerous my opponent is, the more dangerous I become,” said Wach.

Also featured that night will be another Polish heavyweight named Artur Szpilka who is looking to carve his own path to heavyweight gold. The 22-year-old Szpilka, 6-0 (4 KO) of North Bergen, NJ by way of Wieliczka, Poland is coming off a devastating :33 second knockout of previously 8-0 (7 KO) heavyweight Ramiz Hadziagnovic this past weekend in Poland.

Szpilka is promoted by 12 Round Knockout Promotions and Global Boxing.

Tickets for “Heat Wave,” priced at $40, $65 and $105, can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254 or calling Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.cesboxing.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. For more information on “Heat Wave,” visit www.cesboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.